Ink conveyer ribbon



March 23, 1937.

G. E. PELTON INK co'NvEYER RIBBON original Filed Jun@ 1, 1955 Patented Mar. 23, i937 Application .lune l, 1935, Serial No. 24,578 Renewed December 29, 1936 16 Claims.

This invention relates to ink conveyer ribbons for use in connection with typing mechanisms for conveying ink from a suitable fountain or ink supply to the writing or printing ribbon from which the ink is transferred to the work by the typing mechanism. This application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 588,932.

In my United States Patent No. 1,826,568 of l0 Oct. 6, 1931, a machine of this type is disclosed in which ink-absorptive conveyer ribbons are described which receive ink from a pad of felt or similar material. In my United States application for Patent No. 588,932 led January 26,

1932, I disclose an improved method of replenishing the ink supply in a writing ribbon by means l of a 4non-absorptive ink conveyer ribbon which receives ink from a rotary member or disk. This invention relates particularly to ribbons of the o type disclosed in said application No. 588,932,

" since with the use of a disk for feeding a very limited quantity of ink to the writing ribbon, the

f use of an impervious ink conveyer ribbon is important in order to make possible an accurate control of ink supplied to the writing ribbon.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide improved ink conveyer ribbons suitable for use in typing mechanisms such as typewriters, adding machines, bookkeeping machines and the like, in which4 considerable strain is placed both upon the writing and ink conveyer ribbons.

Another object is to provide a ribbon of this kind in which a cellulose ester material in sheet form is reinforced so as to`render the same usable in connection with typing mechanisms.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a composite ink conveyer ribbon including a layer of a cellulose ester sheet material having attached thereto a fabric material; also to provide a ribbon of this kind in4 which the reinforcing material is in the form of a thin but strong silk fabric, the two parts of the ink conveyer ribbon being secured together with a suitable adhesive; also to improve ink conveyer ribbons of this kind in other respects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a typewriter having applied thereto an ink con- Veyer ribbon embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary face view of a composite sheet ofv material a part of which is cut in strips to form ink conveyer ribbons.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of another sheet in which a -reinforcing material of another type is used.

(Cl. IS7-171) Referring, in the first place, to Fig. 1, the typewriter illustrated has a'frame or body portion 6, a platen l, suitable keys 8 by means of which type 9 strike a writing or printing ribbon l0 to make an impression upon the work on the platen 9. l l represents the usual vibrator through which the ribbon is guided into proximity to the platen 8 to be struck by the type. The printing or writing ribbon i0 is wound on a pair of spools l2 and I3 suitably mounted on opposite sides of w the frame and actuatedl by suitable mechanisms (not herein shown) for winding the ribbon alternately upon one or the other spool.

In order to maintain a constant supply of ink in the writing or printing ribbon l0 so as to pro- 15 duce uniformly inked characters on the work, small quantities of ink substantially-equivalent to those removed from the writing ribbon l@ by the writing or printing operation are carried to the writing ribbon i9 by means of an ink conveyer ribbon l5, which in the particular construction shown is interwound upon the spools i2 and i3 with the writing ribbon lll so that any ink deposited upon the ink transfer ribbon i5 will be transferred to the writing ribbon by 25 contact of the two ribbons. Other means for producing.a contact between the two ribbons for transfer of ink may, of course, be employed if desired. l

The ink supply or conveyer ribbon l5 may receive its supply of ink in any suitable or desired manner, and in the construction shown for this purpose, a wick H is provided, one end of which extends into an ink reservoir i3 and the other end of which may, for example, contact with a 5 roller i9 which in turn contacts with a disk 20 for applying a film of ink to the periphery of the disk. In order to transfer the ink from the disk to the ribbon'l, this ribbon is guided around idler pulleys or wheels 2| and 22 and a pulley 23 40 and the disk 20 may be urged into contact with one face of the ink transfer ribbon l5 in any suitable manner, for example, by means of a spring 2t exerting a pull on one end of the lever 25 pivoted about the axis of the pulley 22. The 45 disk 20 is journalled on the lever 25 and moves therewith and any suitable means for moving the pulley I9 into engagement with the disk 20 may be provided. Consequently the disk rolls in contact with a part of the ribbon extending 50 around the pulley 23. By means of the mechanism described, a very thin line of ink may be applied to the ink transfer ribbon I5 so that this ribbon may supply to the writing ribbon l; a quantity of ink approximately equal to that removed from the ribbon by the type. It will be understood, of course, that other means than those shown may be used for applying ink from any suitable source or supply upon the ink transfer ribbon l5.

The disk 20 and roll I9 preferably are positively driven in any suitable manner from the pulley 23, such for instance as by means of gears, but such driving means are not shown in the accompanying drawing, since the particular means for applying ink to the ink transfer ribbon I5 does not constitute apart of this invention.

I have found that in order to obtain the best results, it is very desirable that the ink transfer does not absorb any material quantity of ink, so that substantially all of the ink which is applied to the transfer ribbon will be delivered to the writing ribbon. Ribbons which absorb a substantial quantity of the ink applied to them by the ink supply mechanism are not desirable for this purpose, since such ribbons will deliver varying amounts of ink to the writing ribbon. Consequently, it is necessary to provide a ribbon, at least one face of which is substantially impervious to ink, and which'face at the same time has the property of carrying on its surface a line of ink which has been placed there by means of a disk or other ink carrying member.

Certain solidified cellulose ester materials in sheet or film form such for example as substances known by the trade name Cellophane, have been found to possess certain desirable properties in connection with the conveying of ink from a disk or other ink applying mechanism to a writing ribbon and to be almost completely non-absorptive of ink of the kind used in typing mechanisms. Such cellulose ester film, however, does not have the necessary strength to enable it to be successfully used in typing mechanisms of this kind and also this type of material has been found to expand and contract under certain atmospheric or other conditions to which a typing mechanism may be exposed. In accordance with my invention I overcome the difficul- A ties heretofore encountered in connection with the use of such cellulose ester sheet materials by securing to the cellulose ester sheet material a fibrous material and arranging the same in such a manner that the fibers reinforce the film. The two sheets are secured together by any suitable adhesive or cement.

An ink transfer ribbon of this kind may, for example, be made of a thin sheet of cellulose ester which may, for example, be less than .001 of an inch in thickness and the fabric which may be secured thereto may also be very thin, so that the total thickness of the composite ink conveyer ribbon may be very small. This is desirable where the ink conveyer ribbon is inter- Wound with the writing ribbon for the reason that by using a very thin lnk conveyer ribbon, a greater length of writing ribbon may be Wound upon the spools, so that the life of the writing ribbon is correspondingly increased. This in turn makes it possible to use the typing mechanism for long periods of time without change of ribbons.

It is possible, for example, to use in connection with the ink transfer ribbon a silk fabric made of long fiber silk threads which may, if desired, still contain the natural gum, thereby utilizing the full strength of the fibers and since the fibers are not depended' upon to absorb any ink, the presence of the natural gum is not objectionable. The woven silk fabric may be calendered in any suitable manner to make the same as smooth and thin as possible before fastening the same with an adhesive material to the cellulose compound film.

Fig. 2 illustrates how ribbons of this kind may be made. In this figure, 30 represents the layer or film of Cellophane or other cellulose material, and 3| a sheet of fibrous material in the form of a woven fabric which may be of any of the well known textile fabrics, but which is preferably made as thin as possible, and which must have sufficient strength to reinforce the cellulose material to the necessary extent. The two sheets of material may then be secured together by means of any one of the numerous adhesives or cements which may be employed in connection with cellulose films. The material is preferably formed in large sheets and may then be cut into strips or ribbons by means of a series of cuts 32. These ink conveyer ribbons may, of course, be of materially less width than the writing ribbon. In the use of ribbons of this kind, it will be obvious that the ink will be carried by the cellulose face of the ribbon and guided into contacting relation to the writing ribbon in such a manner that the cellulose face contacts with the writing ribbon to transfer ink deposited on the conveyer ribbon to the writing ribbon.

In Fig. 3 is shown an alternative material for use in connection with the cellulose sheet material or cellophane. In this construction, 35 represents the cellulose film and 36 is a. layer or sheet of fibrous material which is free from cross threads. Materials of this kind are readily available and while they have no strength crosswise of the direction of the threads, they are very desirable for use in connection with my improved ink conveyer ribbon, for the reason that such ribbons are mainly subjected to longitudinal strains. Such material is also desirable for the reason that the usual depressions and raised portions which are present in any woven fabric are not present in this type of fibrous material and where a ribbon of extreme smoothness is desired to produce an absolutely uniform line of lnk on the conveyer ribbon, the slight irregularities inherent in woven fabrics are eliminated by the use of the fibrous layer 36. By securing the fibrous layer 36 to the cellulose film 35, the re1- atively small lateral strains on the ribbon will be adequately resisted by the cellulose material While the much greater longitudinal stresses are resisted jointly by the fibers of the layer 36 and the cellulose film 35. This material illustrated in Fig. 3 is also preferably formed in relatively wide sheets and may then be slit lengthwise of the fibers of the layer 36 into ribbons of the desired Width.

It will be obvious, of course, that the cellulose film or surface may be applied to the textile material by other means than a cement or adhesive, such for example as by coating one side of the flbrous material or impregnating the same with a liquid cellulose composition, which upon drying forms a film or surface on the fibrous material which will be substantially impervious to ink. It will also be understood that the textile material 3| may be impregnated or filled with any suitable material, such as a starch and oil compound or a tracing cloth compound, in case it is desired to produce a ribbon having both surfaces thereof impervious to ink. Since, however, only one face of the ribbon is used for conveying ink from the ink source to the writing ribbon, it 'is not essential that both faces of the ribbon be impervious to ink, since even if the ink conveyer ribbon is interwound with the writing ribbon as shown in Fig. 1, the ink absorptive or fabric surface will not absorb sufficient ink from the writing ribbon to have any effect upon the nature of the printing produced by the typing mechanism.

The composite ribbon described in this application has the advantage that it may be made very thin, since cellulose films are, for example, f available in thicknesses as low as .0005 of an inch and various types of fabrics, particularly those made of silk are available which are also very thin. Cellophane furthermore has been found to l5 be substantially non-absorptive of ink land has the desirable property that a thin, line of ink can be very uniformly deposited thereon. 'Ihe fact that Cellophane is somewhat fragile and cannot be used on a writing ribbon where it is subjected to the pounding of type, does not, however, interfere with its use or durability in connection with an ink conveyer ribbon, where it is not subjected to any pounding by the type.

I claim as my invention:

1. A non-printing ink conveyer ribbon for depositing ink on a printing ribbon of a typing mechanism and including a fibrous body portion of low ink absorbing capacity and having at least one surface thereof formed of a solidified cellulose ester composition which is substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon.

2. A non-printing ink conveyer ribbon for placing ink on a printing ribbon of a typing mechanism and including a fibrous body portion com posed of silk fibers extending mainly in the direction of length of said ribbon and secured to a iilm of solidified cellulose ester material which is substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon.

3. A non-printing ink conveyer ribbon fordepnsiting ink on a printing ribbon of a typing mechanism and including a fibrous body portion composed of a woven and calendered fabric and having at least one surface thereof formed of a cellulose ester composition which is substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon.

4. A non-printing ink conveyer ribbon for depositing ink on a printing ribbon of a typing mechanism and including a fibrous body portion composed of fibers extending only lengthwise of said ribbon and a film of a solidified cellulose cured to said body portion and which is'substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon.

5. An ink conveyer ribbon for depositing ink on a printing ribbon of a typing mechanism and formed of two layers of material secured together,

one of said materials being a cellulose ester film which is substantially impervious of ink and the other layer being of a brous material which is filled with a composition which is substantially impervious to ink.

6. An ink conveyer ribbon for carrying ink from an ink supply to a writing ribbon of a typing mechanism and including a thin layer of fibrous,

. ester material in the form of a continuous web sefrom a supply of ink to a printing ribbon of a typing mechanism, said conveyer ribbon having a face thereof formed of a lmof material which is substantially non-absorbent of ink and to which ink may be applied and having the other face thereof formed of a fibrous material substantially non-absorptive of ink secured to said i'llm and reinforcing the same, and means for securing said film to said fibrous material.

8. An ink conveyer ribbon for carrying ink from a supply of ink to a printiig ribbon of a typing mechanism, said conveyer ribbon being formed of two layers of material secured together throughout their adjacent surfaces. one of said layers being of a solidified cellulose ester material which is substantially non-absorptive of ink and to the surface of which small quantities of ink may be applied for transfer to the printing ribbon; and the other layer being of a brous substance, the fibers of which reinforce said non-absorptive film and are of low ink absorbing capacity.

9. In a typing mechanism, the combination of a printing ribbon from which ink is transferred to the work, a non-printing ink conveyer ribbon contacting with said printing ribbon and including a fibrous body portion and having at least one surface thereof formed of a cellulose composition which ls substantially impervious to ink `and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon, and means for depositing a controlled quantity of ink on said surface.

10. In a typing mechanism, the combination of a printing ribbon from which ink is transferred to the work, a non-printing ink conveyer ribbon contacting with said printing ribbon and in cluding a fibrous body portion composed of silk bers extending mainly in the direction of length of said ribbon and secured to a fllm of cellulose material which is substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon, and means for depositing a controlled quantity of ink on said surface.

11. In a typing mechanism', the combination of a printing ribbon from which ink is transferred to the work, a non-printing ink conveyer ribbon contacting with said printing ribbon and including a fibrous body portion composed of a woven f and calendered fabric and having at least one surface thereof formed of a cellulose composition which is substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon, and means for depositing a controlled quantity of ink on said surface.

l2. In a typing mechanism, the combination of a printing ribbon from which ink is transferred to the work, a non-printing ink conveyer ribbon contacting with said printing ribbon and including a fibrous body portion composed of ilbers extending only lengthwise of said ribbon and a film of a cellulose material in the form of a continuous web secured to said body portion and which is substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon, and means for depositing a controlled quantity of ink on said surface.

13. In a typing mechanism, the combination of a printing ribbon from which ink is transferred by the type to the work, an ink conveyer ribbon movable into contact with said printing ribbon and formed of two layers of material secured together, one of said materials being a cellulose iilm which is substantially impervious of ink and the other layer being of a ibrous material, means for depositing ink on said 111m, means for guiding said ribbons during their lengthwise movements to bring said film of said conveyer ribbon into contact with said printing ribbon to eil'ect transfer of ink from said conveyer ribbon to said printing ribbon.

14. In a typing mechanism, the combination of a printing ribbon from which ink is transferred by the type to the work, an ink conveyer ribbon movable into contact with said printing ribbon and formed of two layers of material secured together, one of said materials being a cellulose flhn which is substantially impervious of ink and the other layer being of a fibrous material in which substantially al1 of the threads extend in a general direction of the length of said ribbon, means for depositing ink on said lm, and means for guiding said ribbons during their lengthwise movements to bring said illm of said conveyer ribbon into contact with said printing ribbon to eiect transfer of ink from said conveyer ribbon to said printing ribbon.

l5. In a typing mechanism, the combination of a. printing ribbon from which ink is transferred by the type to the work, an ink conveyer ribbon movable into contact with said printing' ribbon and formed of two layers of material secured together, one of said materials being a cellulose lm which' is substantially impervious of ink and the other layer being of a. brous material which is filled with a. composition which is substantially impervious to ink, means for depositing ink on said ribbon, means for guiding said ribbons during their lengthwise movements into contact to effect a transfer of ink from said conveyer ribbon to said printing ribbon.

16. In a typewrlting mechanism of the type having an inked printing ribbon, travelling through a printing position, and a non-printing ink conveyer ribbon contacting with the printing ribbon at portions thereof not in printing position, that improvement which comprises an improved non-printing ink conveyer ribbon having on one face thereof a fibrous body portion of low ink absorbing capacity and having on the other face thereof a film of solidied cellulose ester composition which is substantially impervious to ink and upon which ink may be deposited for transfer to said printing ribbon.

GEORGE E. PEL'I'ON. 

